A New Defense Teacher At Hogwarts
by writer228
Summary: What happens when Voldemort's been dead four years and somebody slipped your teacher a mumps potion?
1. New DA teacher?

It was the another boring day of class for the second-years at Hogwarts. Same boring teacher, same boring studies, same boring books. There was little reason why someone shouldn't enjoy Defense Against the Dark Arts class; that's the only class that did anything worthwhile at school.  
  
This day was no exception. Being as the original teacher was frightfully ill (someone had slipped a mumps-inducing potion into the poor man's drink), there was obviously going to be a new teacher, but the rumor had it that the substitute teacher was an Auror on vacation. William Skeeves rushed to his first class with all the enthusiasm he could muster.  
  
Upon entering the room, he noticed that everyone was sitting in their seats, unusually quite. No one seemed to even dare to think about speaking, let alone actually executing such an action.  
  
He quickly found his seat and sat down, very well aware that the teacher wasn't present and class was about to start. Where was he? Would he even show? Both seemed to be popular thoughts among the children seated there.  
  
Just then, a girl in the first row gasped. Everyone looked up at the chalkboard, which seemed to be writing, "Good morning, class. Today we will be learning about pixies. Please be ready for your teacher to arrive."  
  
No one needed a second bidding. Everyone bustled about to get their wands, but none were quicker than William. He had his wand and parchment out before most of the children touched theirs.  
  
The door almost burst open behind them. In came a homely man, near his mid twenties, with odd round-rimmed glasses, a simple robe, and hair that was so long the bangs almost touched the upper rim of his glasses. He swept up to the front, putting his books down in an almost clumsy way, and then going to the blackboard, where he began bewitching it to spell out instructions. As he did so, he explained why he was late:  
  
"Sorry I'm late, class, but traffic was murder."  
  
A couple of the students giggled, but William couldn't stand it anymore. Who was this new teacher?  
  
So he formed his question into words. "Sir," he began, "who are you? You didn't introduce yourself."  
  
The new teacher looked behind him at the class. Noticing the child who spoke, he calmly replied, "Sorry about that, Mr.-"  
  
"Skeeves."  
  
"-Skeeves, but there is something else that is a little more important. For instance, who knows how long it's been since Voldemort fell?"  
  
Several children winced when he said this, but a couple children still raised their hands; William among them.  
  
"Yes, Skeeves?" the teacher asked.  
  
"Four years, sir."  
  
"Correct. Though pixies are no where near his measure of strength, everyone has to start somewhere. The world is a dangerous place to the unprepared, so I want you to treat every lesson as if you are practicing to face Voldemort himself!"  
  
Once again, the children winced.  
  
William didn't wait to be called on this time. "Sir, how can you speak his name so freely? It still seems scary, even though he's only in stories now."  
  
Leaning upon the desk, his teacher calmly brushed his bangs out of his face, smiling in a relaxed way, revealing a curious lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.  
  
"Because," his teacher replied, "I am Harry Potter." 


	2. It's all mine!

The whole class sat still in a stunned silence. Their new teacher was the Harry Potter? The one and only?  
  
Hands shot up all over the room like weeds popping out of the spring ground. Everyone wanted to say something. William especially; he had two hands up.  
  
Harry didn't even look surprised. "Class!" he called out over the large din of children shifting in their seats and calling, "Me! Me!" trying to quiet everyone down. "I'll allow you two minutes to write down one question for me, and you will turn it in when I say time is up! We don't have time for all the questions here! If I happen to find your question particularly interesting, or frequent, then I will tell the whole class my answer tomorrow! Also, keep in mind that your question might not be answered today, as I have to teach the entire school of Hogwarts throughout the whole week!"  
  
The room was instantly quiet. All that could be heard were the scratchings of quill upon parchment. William, convinced he could put in more than one question, started using his brother's names as well on the top of the paper. As he was starting his second paper, he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
In a tense movement, he slowly looked up to the owner of the hand. There was Harry Potter.  
  
"Mr. Skeeves, I believe I said one question."  
  
Turning his head back to his paper and trying his best to hide, mumbled, "Yes, sir."  
  
Harry smiled and slipped a small treat into William's pocket, and then whispered, "Don't open it until lunch; it isn't official yet."  
  
Patting William reassuringly on the shoulder a few times, just to make sure he paid attention, he then walked up to the front of the class, where he said, "Alright, class, turn in your papers!"  
  
Almost like a tidal wave, the children surged toward the front of the class, all hoping to be first. William, still a little stunned at what had happened, only put a hand in his pocket to see what was there. All he felt was a small, five-edged shape with a string attached to one side. Was it what he thought it was?  
  
Suddenly remembering his question, he also leaped toward the front, only to find himself dead last in line.  
  
"You snooze you lose!" a Slytherin called out at him from the front of the line.  
  
William just shot him a sneer. Gryffindor and Slytherin never did like each other. Ever.  
  
However, any hopes of opening the present from his Defense against the Dark Arts teacher in peace was shot as he noticed a bunch of girls following him around. And as they got closer to the Great Hall, the crowd got bigger. Eventually he could even hear the whispers of the numerous kids from all the houses.  
  
"What's he got?" a Ravenclaw asked.  
  
"Dunno," a Hufflepuff answered, "but he got it from the new D.A. teacher! It's got to be good! Do you know who he is yet?"  
  
"Who? The guy we're following or the new D.A. teacher?" a Slytherin piped in.  
  
"The D.A. teacher, stupid! The kid we're following is William Skeeves!" the Hufflepuff answered.  
  
"Give me a break!" the Slytherin called out. "I'm not gonna have my D.A. class until tomorrow! How can I possibly know?"  
  
"Give ya a hint," the Hufflepuff sneered, "H.P. and a crack of lightning."  
  
Skeeves heard the laughter at the, apparently, unknowing look of the Slytherin kid at the only too obvious 'hint'. Finally, he was at the Great Hall doors. Rushing in, he couldn't wait to find his seat.  
  
After he found it, and convinced that no one should see this gift besides him, he tore it out of his pocket and yanked the string as hard as he could. He could see a chocolate frog, which hopped away, and the card beneath it.  
  
He had been waiting almost a full year for this card, and now the very first was all his.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	3. Strange things

William's face was beginning to shine he was smiling so broadly. Here he had, in his hands, the very first, and still only, Harry Potter Wizard Card!  
  
People had become a crowd around him, pushing and shoving with all their might to see the new card. William read the words silently to himself, basking himself in the beauty and importance of the card.  
  
Harry Potter  
  
(?) —  
Defeated the Great Wizard Lord Voldemort  
Top Auror at the Ministry of Magic  
Renowned Seeker and Founder of the London Griffins Quidditch Team  
  
William couldn't believe it. The card wasn't even finished yet! They still had to put Harry Potter's birth date in there! Even so, that would mean that this card was unique, and it was all his.  
  
William looked at the picture, seeing a very young looking Harry Potter waving at him from inside the frame. As he turned the picture from side to side, he noticed that the figure of Harry Potter in the photo seemed to grow older or younger (until about age 11) depending how he turned it. A breakthrough in Magical Photography, no doubt.  
  
After twisting it a few times, he notice that the character in the photo was starting to look very annoyed at the constant aging and de-aging. William stopped twisting it to see the relieved sigh of the character still in the photo.  
  
That's when all hell broke loose.  
  
Before William could do anything, the card was ripped out of his hands.  
  
The whole room erupted into noise as people grabbed and fought for the card, especially those who collected them. William fought against the crowd, trying to get his card back.  
  
Just then, the entire crowd froze, completely immobile. William discovered that, in his hand, was the card he lost, the Harry Potter Famous Witches and Wizards Card.  
  
Finding this in his possession, he ran up to the Gryphondor common house, realizing he wasn't very hungry. He flew up the stairs to his room and shoved the card under his pillow, and then flopped down on it.  
  
He never knew how tired he was. All he had done was run up maybe six flights of stairs, countless hallways, and…Now that you mention it, it wasn't that hard to figure out.  
  
He closed his eyes, not worrying about sleep, more because he knew that it would come to him then he didn't have to work for it. He had the new Harry Potter Card, his collection was complete, and he was famous.  
  
What more could a kid ask for?  
  
The shadows behind the curtains were only too willing to tell him. 


	4. Shadows and Wizards and Duels, Oh My!

The shadows almost seemed possessed as they moved with a life of their own, moving closer and closer to William as he slept. One reached out a hand, only seen by the light of the moon, and hovered above his pillow. Only a few more inches before it could reach the dirty-blonde hair of the sleeping boy.  
  
"WILL! WAKE UP!!"  
  
The lights flashed on as three other boys crashed into the room. The shadows disappeared, almost as if they were never there, or as if they were defeated by the light.  
  
William weakly picked up his head. He was tired, cranky, and really wanted his sleep. However, he was very confused at why the three boys stumbled into the room, tripping and almost clawing for more distance.  
  
"What's up?" William yawned.  
  
"Downstairs! In the main hall!" one of them gasped. "Harry Potter is fighting a Dark Wizard!"  
  
William never had such a burst of energy in his life. Grabbing the card, he flew out the dormitory and raced down the halls, almost being grabbed by a teacher as he ran by.  
  
Sure enough, in the main hall, William could see the whole duel from his hiding place. Harry Potter was fighting a mysterious black-robed wizard with a bloody snake embroidered on the back of his cloak. Harry was doing quite well, until both were locked in a neutral spell. William knew a bit about neutral spells, and that sometimes wizards and witches cast them on purpose so they can talk to their enemy. William wondered if that was the case here.  
  
"Give up, Harry Potter!" the Dark Wizard hissed, "You were no match for me then and you are no match for me now!"  
  
Harry laughed. "Like I told you before, if I'm no match for you, then Voldemort never existed! All I would've done is played illusions!"  
  
"Wasn't that within your power? Could the whole thing have been fake?" his enemy snarled.  
  
Harry was beginning to lose his cool. "If it was fake no one would have died!" Harry called, "I wouldn't have this scar, and I would still have my parents!"  
  
"That's right," the Dark Wizard nodded, smirking as he did so, "Even when you're older you're still a dirty orphaned MUD-BLOOD!!"  
  
Harry cast a spell that broke the neutrality, causing the Dark Wizard to fly backwards into the statue of the Lion for the Gryphondor house. Harry called out, "Even now, you can do nothing but mock me, Draco!"  
  
The hood of the Dark Wizard fell back to reveal a pale-blonde man, roughly the same age as Harry Potter. Dodging a spell and getting up, he called, "This is revenge for my father and my Lord!" Draco called out, sparks flying from his wand as a spell flew at its target.  
  
A bright flash of light, and it was over. Harry Potter was gone, but if he was defeated was debatable. Draco laughed evilly as he ran from the Grounds of Hogwarts, pursued by every teacher available. William stared in astonishment as he, completely numb to the world, was yanked back by a teacher and put into the hands of one of the professors. Shortly after, and still in a daze, William found himself in the hospital wing, still trying to figure out what happened.  
  
"Don't worry, kid. You're going to be okay."  
  
William shook his head and looked around. Strange things could happen in Hogwarts, he knew that, and voices in rooms with no people shouldn't seem strange to him.  
  
Actually, he would've understood it if it was the female voice of a nurse, or even a voice he didn't recognize, but this?  
  
The voice belonged to Harry Potter! 


	5. Guardian of the Thingy

"Will?"  
  
William looked around for the voice. No ghosts.No nurse.No teachers.What the heck was talking to him?!  
  
"Will! For crying out loud! Look at the card!"  
  
William just looked around. 'Look at the card'? What card?  
  
Suddenly, it hit him. He scrambled around to look for his Famous Witches and Wizards Card, which (thankfully) was still in his hand.  
  
The image of Harry Potter gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks for finally looking," he said, apparently sarcastically.  
  
William just gave the card a strange look. Even wizard pictures don't talk! Why was this one talking?  
  
And, just because he couldn't hide his curiosity any longer, William asked those exact words.  
  
The card began to explain:  
  
"You see, I really didn't have any time to cast any spell, so I just had to hope a Charm I had used worked. I knew Drako would come back, mostly because I've been fighting him off all summer at work, and because of the death threats I've been getting at the office. Being as Hogwarts is the only place I've felt any type of security, I came here for help and guidance from Dumbledor (may he last forever!) and eventually got a job as the Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher when the original one got sick and ran off, saying he'd had enough of his job. When I walked in the classroom, I felt a strange tingling sensation in my scar when I went past you, and I had only gotten that feeling one other time; When the Lord Voldemort was near or had a very strong emotional feeling. That can mean one of two things; One, you're just as strong as Voldemort, or two, you could be his son, which is very unlikely. Taking advise from Dumbledor, I place a Soul-Swap Charm on this very card, linking it with mine. I then gave it to the most deserving child I found, and, luckily, I didn't have to look far. You were bright, curious, and not afraid to ask questions or step out of line, just like me at your age. Therefore, this card comes to you."  
  
"But with a Soul-Swap Charm, doesn't the bodies stay behind?" William asked.  
  
"Normally, yes, they do," the card replied, "but that isn't the case this time. This time, Dumbledor helped me put a Displacement Charm on my body with another Charm that would keep it dormant until it was needed. When Drako hit me with that spell, it almost vaporized my body. That's when the Charm went off. The Displacement Charm went into effect and the Soul- Swap Charm caused my soul to be replaced to a safe location while my body healed in a magical 'Sub-Room' Dumbledor and I had created previously. However, as my body is no longer in this plane, it is very possible I could be easily destroyed."  
  
"How?"  
  
"If the card rips, or burns, or tears, or bends too much, or even gets stepped on too many times, this card will no longer be strong enough to hold my soul and I'm gone forever, meaning Drako, the leader of the Voldemort Disciples, would have won. That's why I gave the card to you; I believe you are strong and careful enough to protect me while my body heals."  
  
William just took a minute to let everything sink in. He was now a guardian. Guardian of the Card. 'Nah, sounds too wussy,' William thought to himself. Guardian of the Paper Rip-off. 'Nope. Not that either.' Guardian of the Cardboard-Thingy. 'Oh, for crying out loud! You can do better!'  
  
You know, while I'm at this, can I ask you something?  
  
'Shoot.'  
  
Can I just call you Will? William takes a while to type.  
  
'Fine.'  
  
How about The Soul Guardian?  
  
"That's cool." 


	6. Who?

"So I'm a Soul Guardian, right?" Will asked.  
  
"I guess so. I've never known someone with this type of job so I wouldn't know what they're called," Harry in the wizard card replied. "But it would make sense; You are guarding the essence of my soul."  
  
"Right. Cool! So, when do I get out of here?" Will looked around, once again to see no one in the room.  
  
Until he looked up again.  
  
Not only did he get the shock of his life, as well as screaming, but he saw this pale-white girl with raven-black hair dressed in a midnight blue flowing dress. She looked like a painting on the ceiling, she was so high up. Will didn't remember seeing that painting when he first woke up, so how did it get there?  
  
The girl in the painting opened her eyes, looking straight at him, and giving Will the strange feeling of being looked through as well. Floating down like snow on a windless night, she hovered inches in front of his face, even when Will tried to flatten himself against the bed. Her eyes were as black and empty as her hair, seemingly giving Will the impression of a black void within her.  
  
"Save me," she whispered, "Save me."  
  
And then she was gone.  
  
Will noticed he was clutching the edges of the bed only when the nurse entered and told him so. She then noticed that he had recovered from his shock and was fit to go back to class, though she was worried about the scared state she had found him in. "If you ever need anything or even feel the slightest bit sick, come see me," she fussed.  
  
Will left the hospital wing, but he couldn't concentrate on where he was going. Every corner there was that girl, whispering "Save me." to him as he passed. He tried talking to his now best friend, Harry Potter.  
  
"Did you see that girl?" Will asked. He really hoped Harry Potter had some information for him. Harry Potter knew more about anything than most the teachers at school is what some of the rumors claimed.  
  
"What girl?" That confirmed it. Will was hallucinating. Who in the world was this raven-haired girl he kept seeing?  
  
He looked up, suddenly realizing he had been walking without looking where he was going. There, above him, were the four house flags representing Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and his house, Gryffindor. He walked around the tables, looking up at the beautiful works of embroidery above him. No doubt they were magically made, but they were still wonderful works of art.  
  
"Save me."  
  
Will looked to the now all-too-familiar voice of the raven-haired girl, who was standing at the Headmasters table, just in front of Dumbledore's seat. She held out her hands to him, almost as if she was reaching out to him and helping him forward at the same time.  
  
Will walked up to her, and stopped, just looking at her. She seemed innocent, and nice, and she did need help, but why.?  
  
Reaching out a hand, Will touched her palm, and suddenly he was in another world, where nothing was there, yet he could sense everything: the tables, the seats, even the banners on hanging from the ceiling. He couldn't trust his eyes anymore; they just wouldn't see for him.  
  
"Save me from my father!" the girl called, with no longer a weak voice, but a renewed one. "Save me from the disciples of Voldemort! Save me from the Dragon!"  
  
"How?!" Will called out, "How can I save you? I don't know where you are!"  
  
"I hide within the books! Save me!"  
  
Will was suddenly back in the Great Hall, with both the girl and the strange world gone. Everything seemed still, as if trapped in a bubble of time. Will just stared forward, hoping he could make a least a little sense of what was going on.  
  
Something touched his shoulder, startling him so much he leapt up, whirled around, and almost struck the boy behind him.  
  
"Geez! Sorry!" the boy called out at him, "But what was I supposed to do? You were all negative!"  
  
"I was.?" 


	7. Then you add a goofball

"I was.negative?" Will asked again. The freckled boy just nodded.  
  
"Yep," he said, "I was just walkin' by to get a little private time, and BAM! There you are! And it's creepy cuz your skin is really dark, and your hair is practically black, while your robe is a dazzling white! It was awesome, but was also a little creepy man!"  
  
Will just looked over his shoulder at where the girl stood just moments before. Who was she? Save her from her father? Was he really a bad guy? Apparently he was with the Voldemort Disciples, and something about a Dragon. Will got the strangest impression that "Dragon" was more a title then the name of a species of lizard. Dragon. "I hide within the books".What did it mean?  
  
"I'm Steve. Nice ta meet'cha!" the freckled boy said cheerfully, holding out his hand for a welcoming/greeting handshake.  
  
"Yeah, same here. I'm William. My friends call me Will," Will said, shaking Steve's hand. At least now he had a friend to call him Will.  
  
Steve was almost gleaming with delight, almost blushing as he did so. He was wearing the typical robe of the school, with the purple lining of the Hufflepuff house. He also had messy brown hair, almost like Harry Potter in the sense that it was a mess. The boy's eye's were also so blue it looked like he had replaced them with sapphire's of the deepest blue at one time. Will just looked at him with, once again, a strong visual picture of a typical store-bought anime doll from the market he had seen one time.  
  
Steve was the first to take his hand from the handshake, suddenly standing next to Will and putting a "helpful hand" on his back to lead him to one of the tables. "Why don't you eat some chocolate frogs? That'll help," Steve remarked with a still joyful face.  
  
"Uh. Sure," Will replied, still trying to make sense of what was going on. Steve sat him down at the Hufflepuff table, digging into his pockets and bringing handfuls after handfuls of chocolate frogs for the new friend to enjoy.  
  
"I'm hoping for the Harry Potter Famous Witches and Wizards Card so I bought all these on the train on the way here. It'll take me months to get through all of 'em, so if you could munch a few it'd be doin' me a great favor!" Steve said, shifting through them. He then picked one and gave it to Will, who was just laughing under his breath.  
  
"What's up?" Steve choked through a mouthful of chocolate frog.  
  
"I have it!" Will boasted, showing Steve the Famous Witches and Wizards Card he protected. "I have the whole collection!"  
  
"So you're the kid that got everyone detentions!" Steve laughed.  
  
In response to Will's curious and confused look, Steve continued. "I was munchin' chocolate frogs at my seat here, ya' know, like usual, and all-of- a-sudden, the whole place's in a uproar! Everyone's grabbin' and snatchin' at this kid who's trying to protect somethin', like it was the only thing he had! Suddenly, Harry Potter casts a spell and everythin' all still, ya know, and the kid makes a break for it! Never saw his face, mind, so I just kept munchin' my chocolate frogs and such, and voila'! I'm the only kid in school ('cept you) who doesn't have detentions!"  
  
By now both of them were laughing hard. "To think!" Will gasped, wiping a tear from his eye, "all because of a card!"  
  
Just then, Will remembered who was really in the card, and fearing he crushed the card to much by handling it, he stared at it, fear and worry all over his face. Harry Potter was still in the card, sleeping peacefully.  
  
Will sighed with relief. "What?" Steve asked, still trying to swallow mouthfuls of chocolate frog. "Afraid you scratched it?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Will lied.  
  
"Than use this! It's my own invention! I'll make a fortune makin' these someday!" Steve called out triumphantly, handing Will something in the vague shape of a Famous Witches and Wizards Card, except it was see-through and thicker.  
  
"I got the idea from my home in America where they sell Beanie-Babies. They got protectors for the tags on those things so I made protectors for these cards!" Steve said, looking incredibly triumphant now.  
  
"Thanks Steve," Will smiled at his friend, "You've just made my day!" 


End file.
